SEALY' D AND DELIVERED

(update) Twilight Meteor preps for Plate

Peachtree Stables' TWILIGHT METEOR, at worst the third favourite for the Queen's Plate on June 24 worked 4 furlongs in 49 4/5 this morning at Belmont. The colt emerged well from the prep and is still on target for the Plate. Owned John Fort said there is no deal in the works to sell the colt and said the colt is training well."It's a prestigious race with a lot of tradition," said Fort about the Plate. The colt's trainer Todd Pletcher won the Belmont stakes on the weekend with RAGS TO RICHES. John Velazquez is expected to ride the Meteor in the Plate.

SEALY HILL wins OAKS

94 Beyer in Oaks, is Plate next?

WOODBINE’s grandstand, apron, tent area and bars and restaurants were quiet full for a super day of racing yesterday – the 52nd Labatt Woodbine Oaks.

What a show of horsemanship by trainer MARK CASSE and his assistants including the tireless RICKY GRIFFITH as the stable marched through horses in 6 races, winning all three stakes events including the biggee with SEALY HILL and finishing second in two of the stakes and another race on the card.

Casse, a long time advocate of racing at Woodbine, was rewarded for his loyalty to Canadian racing and for bringing owners and horses into our industry. Clients of his like: WOODFORD RACING won two of the stakes, EUGENE MELNYK won the Oaks and CHARLES LALOGGIA was 2^nd in the Victoria Park with Skip Code.

Also in the team is PATRICK HUSBANDS (who rode all three stakes winners) who helped Casse get SEALY HILL’s mind straightened out after that disastrous run in the KENTUCKY OAKS when trounced 26 lengths.

“We just did a lot of gallops with her behind horses in the mornings,” said Husbands. “The key was to get her to relax.”

Casse had been saying all along he was shocked at the filly’s Oaks performance but cited the fast pace that was close to early in the race and the fast move by super filly RAGS TO RICHES to go by, bothered and confused the filly and she simply stopped running.

“The real Sealy was here today,” said Casse.

The POINT GIVEN – BOSTON TWIST, BOSTON HARBOR filly had a nice trip as heavily favoured STREET SOUNDS went fast on the pace and another fave, SASKAWEA was glued to her all the way. The pace was torrid and somewhat surprising since it didn’t appear to come up that quick on paper.

Sealy Hill parked herself in the second flight of fillies with BELLEPLAINE (the other Melnyk filly) and then methodically got closer with a 3 path advance.

She drew off turning for home and looked strong at the wire.

The time of 1:50 3/5 was the fastest for an Oaks since SILENT FLEET in 1996.

Naturally, the question of running her back in the Plate in 2 weeks was on the minds of reporters. When asked, Casse said it would be up to Melnyk but that they “felt pretty good” with Marchfield (Melnyk’s Plate colt who was 2^nd in the Trial.).

Sealy Hill’s Beyer Figure of 94 would make her the highest last-race Beyer Figure horse in the Plate field if she ran…but she could bounce too.

Saskawea was a strong 2^nd, 4 ½ lengths clear of Street Sounds. Elisabeth Alexander’s CHRISTIES TREASURE was 4^th and Sam-Son Farms’ QUIET JUNGLE was 5^th.

Two fillies were pulled up and trotted over the wire – FUHRLEEN, the maiden full sister to Wando, and BELLEPLAINE.

Casse said the stakes triple sweep was the best day of his career (he won the Met Mile with Exciting Story!) and thought Sealy Hill was his best chance.

Meanwhile, APPROVAL RATING had a nice trip to win the Victoria Park for 3yo’s at 1 1/8 miles and was the favourite.

The Lemon Drop Kid colt is out of the With Approval mare Classic Approval. The colt is a Florida-bred. His time

The Alywow Stakes, for 3yo fillies was a cavalry charge for the last part of the 6 ½ furlongs on the grass and it appeared as if Woodford’s Canadian-bred filly QUIET ACTION was going to win but her stablemate SILKY SMOOTH got past her at the wire. The Beyer was an 80 for 1:15 3/5.

Silky Smooth is a Kentucky-bred by Mr. Greeley – Sapphire N’ Silk by Pleasant Tap.

Other interesting events yesterday was that wild 2yo colt race (race 6) in which 4 juveniles hit the wire together and first-timer MIGHTY VOW (Chantal Sutherland) came out the winner for Camilla Farms and trainer Norm DeSouza. The Broken Vow Maryland-bred edged Bob Costigan’s homebred Druids Mound (by Smart Strike) and the Florida-bred Full Mandate colt WHERE INEEDTOBE.

Ontario-breds took the first two races with the pretty grey mare COUSIN SALLY (With Approval) winning the first race for $37,500 claiming and QUIDLY QUEST (Lite the Fuse) winning the second race for Love 2 Win Stable. The second race was a $50,000 claimer for 3yo’s.

There were a couple of double-wines recorded by jockeys COREY FRASER and JUSTIN STEIN on the card.

Betting on the day of $2.6 million seems a bit low for the amount of people and horses in the races.

DON'T TAKE HIM FOR A PIGGYBACK RIDE!

Is this guy huge or what? PIGGYBACK CART is for sale...check out PHASE 2 THOROUGHBREDS.COM.

ENTRY QUERIES, OTHER QUESTIONS

Some readers are not happy that horses owned by the same owner are not coupled in races. What is your opinion as to whether entries should be brought back for stakes races?

I was asked my opinion on the Belmont Stakes telecast – I thought it was very good and I like that they come back from a commercial with some good music and scenes of races. The features and interviews with folks (not just jockeys) were all interesting. I just want to continue to see racing on the big networks – where it should be.

As for the WOODBINE POLYTRACK, I am gathering that the track is improving as the new wax and jelly sprinkles, I mean jelly cable, is settling in. In conversations with many trainers during the last 2 days, the breakdowns in the mornings may be up slightly but there have been hardly any during racing. What I am understanding is that breakdowns are down in numbers.

The Ruffian movie was part of many conversations yesterday at the track. Most people liked it from I gathered.

OTHER STUFF

CATCH THE THRILL, the champion 2yo filly of last year, is being pointed to the Bison City Stakes (second jewel of the Triple Tiara) according to trainer Mark Frostad. The filly has yet to race this year after having surgery last fall.

REATA’S ROCKET, who was once on the trail to the Queen’s Plate, was 4^th in the Rumson Stakes at Monmouth Park yesterday behind CHEROKEE COUNTRY.

Canadian-bred HOMESTEADER (Pioneering-Sugarloaf) was 3^rd in the Skipat Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday and earned a 90 Beyer Figure.

American stallion VINDICATION had his first winner on the weekend when GALIANO won at Lone star Park for owner and breeder Padua Stables.

Bombs away at FORT ERIE yesterday when BODEAN (Regal Discovery) won the 6^th race, a maiden allowance race,for owners Sue and Tim Milligan Lister and trainer Sam McComb (featured in a story in the Niagara Review not long ago and linked on this site three days ago). The 7 furlong race was on the grass and it was Bodean’s first turf test (he’s out of the Money By Oreleans mare Dancinginthelight). He was 48 to 1.

STAG HUNT was 57 to 1 and was 2^nd (Tejabo – Runalong Dear) and it was his first test and 15 to 1 CATS GOOD TO GO was another neck back in 3^rd. The triactor paid $27,000

CAPTAIN DUDLEY SAVED…

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003741785_brewer10.html

LINKS TO IMAGES OF BELMONT AND UNDERCARD STAKES

Provided by horse-races.net

Belmont Stakes coverage: http://www.horse-races.net/library/bel07-results.htm

Slide show version: http://horseracing.about.com/od/triplecrown2000/ss/aa060907a.htm

Undercard turf stakes: Manhattan, Just A Game, Foresta: http://www.horse- races.net/library/bel07-uc1results.htm

Undercard main track stakes: Acorn, Woody Stephens, True North, Birdstone: http://www.horse-races.net/library/bel07-uc2results.htm

Slide show of undercard stakes for males (Manhattan, Woody Stephens, True North, Birdstone): http://horseracing.about.com/od/triplecrown2000/ss/aa060907b.htm

Slide show of undercard stakes for fillies&mares (Acorn, Just A Game, Foresta): http://horseracing.about.com/od/triplecrown2000/ss/aa060907c.htm